What do you really want, Alice?
by xDystopia
Summary: "I didn't do anything wrong! I'm innocent!" Alice is suddenly transported to a strange world & thrown into a dungeon. Everyone here has eyes so it can't be the Wonderland she knows so well. Yet all of the role-holders are here too? What exactly is going on here? (Alice x ?) Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello there!** **(=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ** **This is one of my very first fan fictions, so please don't be hard on it. (^^;;) Enjoy the story and please review if you can~**

* * *

"Don't even bother," A gruff voice scoffed at her efforts, alerting the girl that she was not alone, "Even if you make it out of your cell, that goddamn monster guards the exit." The man in a nearby cell listlessly gazed at her with tired eyes. He ran a calloused hand through his silver wiry hair and sighed.

"Monster?" Alice queried, her curiosity piqued. She focused her aquamarine eyes on the stranger, whilst she moved hair away from her face. Alice's mouth opened slightly but closed soon after; she was no longer shocked.

The elderly man's weary, grey eyes looked towards the exit, beyond the confines of his cell, and then back to her. "They call it… Berserker," He revealed solemnly, cautiously glancing towards the exit, "No-one has got the slightest clue as to what it really is though. It just stands there… waiting. At first the people here thought it was a statue. Some guys managed to pick their locks and ran for it but… it cut them down – one after the other. It was a massacre."

She followed his gaze until she set her eyes on a stationary figure. It was clad in pitch black armour. A sword remained attached to its side. The eye slot of its helmet was dark; maintaining an ominous silence. Alice's eyes wavered but regained focus as the old man continued.

"It doesn't eat. It doesn't sleep. All day and all night it stands there. If you ask me, it's because that cursed witch." He spat, "That _thing_ is her pet; following her orders without a single complaint. Heck, I don't even know if it can speak! Those that oppose her or the Patrem, face the witch's wrath. She sends her pet to execute all who dare to even speak out against them… men, women, children… even my …" The old man paused before chuckling to himself, "But this is just the ramblings of an old man… tell me, child, what brings you to this god forsaken place?"

Berserker. Patrem. Sciandria. None of these words belonged to the Wonderland she knew so well – the place she chose to remain in. But it didn't surprise her, not any more. Alice was fully aware that she had lost yet another place she called 'home'. "I don't know…" she spoke softly; hugging her legs quietly.

* * *

"Nox is right, as always," A girl mused, gently stroking her black plush rabbit that wore a navy blue waistcoat with white buttons with her gloved right hand, "Nox said that what you are doing is madness, Kaine."The rabbit rested on top of her mauve Victorian styled dress that had a black trim and ribbon adorning the front. Her long, slightly wavy black hair was tied back in a high pony tail by a violet ribbon. She opened her lapis blue eyes and turned to face the long blonde haired man opposite her who sat deep in thought.

"You should not jump to conclusions Arya," Kaine advised, smiling back at her as his purple eyes met hers, "The experiment was a success." He removed his white trenchcoat with gold trims and lay it down beside him before loosening the black tie that suffocated his neck. Kaine sighed contently while he rolled up the long sleeves of his grey collared shirt. He then continued to loosen the leather belt around his white dress pants before leaning back on the soft couch.

"Nox says that machine of yours blew up part of the east wing," Arya retorted, clutching the stuffed doll closer to her, "It even brought some troublesome people here… even if you are his son, the Patrem won't be happy." She focused her eyes to gauge his reaction but as always he merely returned a smile in her direction. She sighed, already expecting that response.

"… Are you worried about me, Arya?" the blonde sat up quickly, grinning as he leant forward, "Father wouldn't be too upset over this, but thank you for thinking about me." Dismissing her words, he got up and stroked her head tenderly. "Tell me, Arya, are you excited? This was merely the first step, but soon…" he trailed off, smiling at how she didn't slap his hand away, "After ten long years, I can almost taste it… Don't you…Arya?" Kaine's strokes ceased. His eyes seemed to gleam with something unfamiliar to Arya. His gentle smile twisted into a grin.

"What you are trying to do is impossible, but… since it's you, K., the possibility is not zero. That is what I think… Nox wants to know what you plan to do with our guests," Arya changed the subject as he sat down beside her, "Nox senses multiple foreign presences. We know that one of them is enjoying the comforts of our dungeons. We also know that the Tsukiyomi siblings and Silis have welcomed some of your _guests_."

"..." Kaine paused for a bit, processing her words before beaming at her, "I'm glad you have so much faith in me Arya!" He leant closer to pat her head again, his smile softening as she huffed and slapped his hand away this time.

"All I said was that the possibility was not zero. The chance of success is still slim at best. Nox thinks so too," she retorted, narrowing her eyes, "That aside, answer our question. Nox is becoming impatient." Aria turned her gaze to the black rabbit doll she held and continued to softly caress its head.

"It has been a while since the last one, hasn't it," Kaine contemplated aloud, relaxing back into the couch, "What do you think, Arya? Shall we?" His smile twisted into a mischievous grin. Upon hearing her name, she looked in his direction but did not reply. "It is the Sciandria family's tradition, after all, to _always_ welcome all our guests… accordingly."

Before Arya could reply there was a knock on the door. "Master Kaine," a man called, entering the study, "My apologies for interrupting, Sir, but we have four intruders in the gardens. They wiped out two squadrons of guards, Sir. A third squadron is on its way."

"My, that is quite the problem…" Kaine mused, pouring himself a cup of wine, "Call off the third squadron. They will only be a hindrance. Arya, would you and Nox like to welcome them _properly_? I'm afraid the guards were unable to entertain them well enough. I'll join you soon enough."

Arya looked to her stuffed rabbit before nodding. Within seconds her figure faded to black and vanished.

* * *

"You know, I never caught your name," the old man realised, "My name is Mund. What is yours, child?" His voice woke Alice from her thoughts, and she jolted back to reality.

"M-me? Oh, my name is Alice. Alice Liddell," she answered and after a moment of hesitation she continued with a wry smile, "I was going to say that it's nice meeting you but… this isn't exactly the right place to be exchanging pleasantries."

Her words were met with a chortle from Mund. "Oh, this child thinks she's funny, doesn't she?" he chuckled slightly before abruptly coughing into his arm. Noticing her widened eyes, he waved his hand, "Don't mind me. If you are ever _lucky_ enough to reach my age, this is normal. Anyway, whereabouts do you come from, child?"

This question made the smile fade from her face. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she dismissed his query, turning to the floor with forlorn eyes, "I wouldn't even believe myself." Alice muttered the last part to herself. There was silence for a while…Silence that brought back those doubtful words. Silence that made her wonder, 'Was it all _just a dream_...?'

Before her mind could drift away further, she heard a barrage a footsteps. However, that wasn't what caught her attention, it was–

"What a pleasant surprise," a lethargic voice mused, Alice could just hear his languid smile, "If I had known that the young lady would be joining me, I would have allowed myself to get caught sooner."

Alice looked up to blue-green eyes, raven hair and a familiar smirk fitting for the mafia boss. At that moment, Alice knew it wasn't all just a dream.

* * *

"Lord Nightmare, please keep moving," Gray sighed, surveying their surroundings in an attempt to find out where they were, "There are probably more people on their way, we need to find somewhere safe." He couldn't recognise their surroundings and the fact that their enemies from earlier had faces… was unsettling. Something was going on and he needed to find out quickly.

"Easier said…" Nightmare began to retort before trailing off as he started vomiting blood again, "…than done…" He wiped his mouth with his handkerchief, slowing getting to his feet.

"Haha! You seem so pathetic right now, Mr Dream Demon!" Ace laughed loudly, receiving a glare from Gray, "As a knight, I'd offer to carry you…but…I wouldn't want to rob Mr Lizard of his role as your mother! Haha." The red-clad knight casually manoeuvred through the forest with the same grin plastered on his face. However he, too, was curious as to why everyone had faces.

"Keep your voice down, Ace," Julius scolded the knight, hitting him with his wrench, "Where, _exactly_ , are we going, Gray?" The Clockmaker's eyes darted from one direction to another. It was too quiet. Suddenly, Gray stopped moving. Before Julius could ask why, two knives were flung in his direction. They narrowly missed his head and collided with a tree.

"Nox says… that wasn't very nice," Arya remarked, appearing behind Gray, "And I can't say I disagree…" She observed the four men calmly, gently stroking the rabbit's head, even as they bared their weapons at her. Gray, taking advantage at her seemingly defenceless state, quickly positioned a knife at her throat and held her still.

"Who are you? And where are we?" he interrogated the girl, bringing the knife closer to her neck. He looked towards Nightmare, who frowned at the girl. "Lord Nightmare, what is the matter?"

"I can't read her mind…" Nightmare answered worriedly, considering whether or not he should try to forcefully enter her mind.

"It's clear that we aren't in Wonderland anymore, huh? Doesn't that mean your powers have disappeared, Mr Dream Demon?" Ace laughed, his hand gripping his sword.

"No, my powers are still intact, knight," the Dream Demon corrected him, "I read the clockmaker's mind earlier… but something is blocking me now…" Nightmare tried to read the girl's mind again, but to no avail. To his and everyone's surprise, she vanished in a cloud of shadow.

"We have many names…" she ambiguously stated, reappearing behind them, "So does this place… To many, this is merely the forest on the outskirts of the Sciandria family's mansion… To the animals, it is their home… To some, this is a place of no return… To Nox, this is a graveyard…"

* * *

"Caught sooner…?" Alice scrunched her face in confusion before glaring at the Hatter, "You act like this is a game. Well, it's not exactly _fun_ being locked up in a dungeon, Blood." She huffed in disdain, wondering how he could be so calm when he was about to be thrown into a dungeon.

"Believe me, I am fully aware, young lady, about the torments of prison…" the Mafioso chuckled, offering her his hand, "That is why I am here to offer you my assistance." His carefree attitude puzzled Alice, but his outstretched hand brought something else to her attention.

"They aren't putting you in a cell," she noted, observing his lack of restraints, "Why is that? Wait, don't tell me, you won them over with your _charm_?" She smiled sarcastically at him as she picked herself off the floor.

"You could say that," Blood shrugged, looking back to a small girl behind him, "The Princess and I have an understanding… "

"This is the one?" the blue haired girl questioned, stepping closer to examine the older girl. Her lone emerald green eye looked over Alice with mild interest. Her stare was unnerving and Alice tried to avoid her gaze. Instead she focused on her strange garb. The younger girl wore an open black vest with an intricate gold trim over a buttoned white long-sleeved shirt. Adorning her shirt was a simple red tie. She also wore black denim shorts accompanied with black knee socks and dark combat boots. The girl's dark blue hair was tied to the side in a ponytail with a pale yellow ribbon. But what was the focus of Alice's attention was the plain black eye-patch that covered the girl's right eye.

"She is," Blood answered calmly, "Now, if you would kindly release her, Lady Kumoko…" His blue-green eyes watched her stare at her hands that were covered with black, leather fingerless gloves. Her green eye glimmered with hesitation but she eventually moved her right hand towards the back of her head. Kumoko then untied the small black ribbon that held her eye-patch in place. With the black fabric removed, her sapphire blue eye was fully exposed.

"Nothing… how strange," Kumoko commented to no-one in particular, pausing for a moment before turning to one of the guards, "Open her cell." Upon giving the order, she replaced her eye-patch.

"With respect, Lady Kumoko," another guard interjected, stepping forward, "You do not have the authority to release the prisoner."

"If there was an issue, Berserker would have done something, no?" she remarked scornfully, glancing at the armoured figure that stood as motionlessly as ever, "Must I _really_ spell it out for you, you incompetent fool? If that _thing_ is not moving, then it means Arya does not care what we do. And if she does not care, it means that the Patrem has no issue with this. Do you understand where I am going with this?" Kumoko narrowed her green eye at the guard, waiting for his reply.

"Y-yes, Lady Kumoko," the guard stuttered, bringing his hand up to a salute, "I understand completely."

"Then _open_ the door." Kumoko took out a golden pocket watch from her short pocket and began to trace the engravings. Her face softened as she held the ticking device.

The guard immediately took out his keys and attempted to open the cell door. His fumbling irked the young girl who promptly stopped him with a wave of her hand.

"Enough," she ordered, turning to her maid, "Sophie, open the door." Kumoko then pocketed her watch.

"As you command, Lady Kumoko," Sophie bowed to her mistress, swiftly moving to open the cell door. She wore a standard maid outfit consisting of a black dress with a white apron and cuffs. She also wore a frilled headband over her short brown hair. After opening the door Sophie stepped aside to allow Alice to move out of the cell.

Alice hesitantly moved out of her cell and, looking towards Mund, she opened her mouth to say something.

"Go, child," he dismissed her unspoken query, giving a hoarse chuckle, "They won't kill me any time soon. Besides, I've started to like this gruel they've been giving me." He held up a half filled bowel of sloppy grey gruel in Alice's direction.

"I take it this is your friend, young lady?" Blood questioned, lazily dragging out his words, "This isn't part of our deal but…I don't suppose you could free him too, Lady Kumoko? I'd hate to see the young lady with a sad expression on her face." He turned towards Kumoko who shook her head.

"I cannot do that," she replied in a stately manner, "Arya personally put him there herself. I don't know what he is to her but she visits him every day, and I bet that the only reason Berserker is here and not protecting his _precious_ master… is because of Mund. Am I wrong, Mund?" She turned to the grey haired man who laughed in reply.

"Arya…" he whispered slowly as if testing the sound of her name, "Is that what she goes by now?" The elderly man burst out in a fit of laughter, disturbing the onlookers. "Beware, child, the path that _Arya_ takes is dyed with blood… Day after day, she sinks deeper and deeper into that pool of blood…" Mund's face twisted into a mad grin and he continued to laugh… and laugh… and laugh.

"This man is clearly mad," Blood mused, gripping his cane tightly as he approached Mund's cell, "Wouldn't it be kinder to end his torment…?" As soon as the words left his mouth Berserker swung its sword at him.


	2. Chapter 2

"Wait!" Julius protested, attempting to reason with the girl, "We did not intend to trespass, we… woke up here for some reason!" He knitted his eyebrows, not thinking she would believe him. Instead he put his faith in Ace and Gray who seemed to be preparing for something.

"We are aware of that," Arya replied, tilting her head slightly, "Nox says you misunderstand. We were not sent to kill you." Her words puzzled the role-holders but they didn't relax just yet. "Nox and I are here, on behalf of Kaine Sciandria, to welcome you to his humble home."

'We?' Ace repeated in his mind, hiding his confusion behind a smile. "Haha. That's not the message we got from the guards from earlier!" Ace smiled dangerously, watching the girl's movements carefully. Her mysterious disappearing and reappearing was baffling… and dangerous.

"Kaine sincerely apologises for the guards," she stated, standing motionlessly a small distance away from them, "They were unaware of your situation." Finishing her sentence, she turned her gaze to her stuffed doll as if it had something to say.

"They tried to _kill_ us the moment they saw us," Gray scoffed, examining her cautiously as he tried to decipher what she did earlier, "And what _exactly_ do _you_ know about our situation?" He slowly raised his knives into a prime position to throw them at the girl's head.

"Nox says that was their job," she replied, stroking the stuffed doll again, "And he also asks this: why are you so surprised when fights to the death occur all the time in Wonderland?" The word 'Wonderland' shocked the four men but Arya continued before they could question her. "Nox reluctantly offers you two choices: stay here or follow me to the Sciandria mansion."

"Why would we need to follow you?" Nightmare queried, unsure of her motives. He took a wary step backwards and, like the others, observed her movements with caution.

Looking at the rabbit once more, Arya gave another answer. "Nox says, Dream Demon," she began, "  
That if you follow us, you will all see your beloved Alice again."

* * *

"Well, that was beyond my expectations," Blood mused, quickly using his cane to guard against Berserker's strike, "I didn't think you could move that fast with all that heavy armour…" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "One might think that you aren't… human."

 _It cut them down – one after the other. It was a massacre._

"Blood!" Alice cried, remembering Mund's story. She couldn't just stand there and do nothing. She looked around for a weapon or _anything_ that would help. But there was nothing, and all she could do was stand and watch. _Again_. Alice clenched her fists.

"What are you are doing, Blood Dupre!" Kumoko demanded, "Do you have a death wish?" The young girl took a step back, unsure of what to do. Her gun had no effect on its thick armour. She couldn't reason with it either. After all, the only people that Berserker would listen to were…

"Sheathe your sword, Berserker," Kaine ordered sternly, stepping into the prison, "After all these people are our precious guests! They are the guests of honour at our upcoming banquet!" His stern face quickly turned into a bright smile as he came closer. "Also Mund, you mustn't go scaring our guests either!" he chastised lightly, crouching in front of Mund's cell, "What you said about Arya… was unnecessary, no?" He lowered his voice, staring coldly at the elderly man for a short moment before getting up. "Ah, before I forget! Thank you, KumoKumo," he said gratefully as he began to pat Kumoko's head, "You saved me from the trouble of releasing her myself." In contrast, Kumoko's expression turned sour.

"Don't touch me so casually, _cur_ ," she said dryly, holding a gun to his chest, "At this range, I won't miss." Kaine swiftly removed his hand from her head and signalled for the guards, who were prepared to attack, to stop.

"You mustn't joke around, KumoKumo," he said, chuckling casually, "The guards might mistake you as an enemy to the Sciandria family! You seem to have forgotten but I am the Patrem's son and heir. Besides, there's no need to be so upset… Arya loves it when I pat her head!"

" _Don't_ call me that," she snapped back at him, stepping away from him, "And I _am not_ like that obedient little _doll_ of yours, Kaine Scia-" Before she could finish he pulled her aside, narrowly dodging Berserker's sword.

"You know you shouldn't do that, KumoKumo," Kaine chastised gently, shaking his head at her, "He gets testy when you insult her."

Kumoko frowned in reply before putting on a sarcastic smile. "Oh yes," she nodded, "It also gets _testy_ when you touch her, point anything at her, annoy her or _even stand in the same room as her_!" Towards the end her frown returned and she crossed her arms. "And how the hell does that _thing_ get ' _testy_ '? It's a freaking machine!"

"That isn't very nice, he's just as human as us… I think," Kaine said doubtfully, his words becoming stretched out as he noticed what she was doing, "You're doing it again, KumoKumo." Her emerald eye began to twitch. It always did when she was angry, a trait she shared with her brother; much to her dismay.

" _Doing what_?" She hissed, her eye twitching madly. Kaine chuckled softly, knowing not to answer her. Alice watched on nervously, the younger girl reminded her of Vivaldi; the Vivaldi who was just one second away from ordering for someone's execution.

"Your eye is twitching," Blood pointed out bluntly with a slight smile.

Alice face palmed. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire," she muttered, desperately wanting the ground to come alive and swallow her whole.

* * *

"Alice is here? Where is-" Julius began to question the girl, stopping mid-sentence as she started to walk away, "Where are you going?"

"The mansion," she said simply, making her way through the forest with ease. The role-holders looked at each other and silently yet unanimously decided to follow her. They weren't sure if she was telling the truth but she knew about Wonderland and the roles they held. She had to have gotten that information from someone.

"Where is Alice? Is she safe?" Julius questioned the girl, struggling to keep up with her. He tried to control his breathing that gradually became heavier and heavier; the last thing Julius wanted was Ace having a reason to poke fun at him. Even worse, he didn't want this to become a reason for Ace to drag him out to go on 'adventures'. He rarely went outside his tower and couldn't walk as fast as Ace or Gray who easily matched the girl's pace.

"Nox says it is pointless to answer questions if you and your companions do not believe us," She replied, not looking back. This annoyed Julius but he chose to remain silent, giving up on getting information from her. However, Ace thought otherwise and spoke up with a loud voice.

"You seem to say 'us' and 'we' a lot," Ace noted with a smile, "I only see one of you though... Where's this 'Nox' you keep talking about?" He leant closer as if curious whilst keeping a careful distance from her. "Oh, that's right! You might be just like Her Majesty! Haha!" Ace's laughter gained annoyed looks from the other men but they were also curious about the answer. Arya, on the other hand, stopped abruptly and gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean?" she inquired, frowning slightly, "Nox is right here." She shoved the black stuffed rabbit in the knight's face. Julius, Nightmare and Gray stopped in their tracks with wide eyes. They had thought the girl was strange before but this was… _really weird_. They had seen weird things in Wonderland but didn't expect that foreigners would be like this. They were expecting people like Alice, ones that cherished life and were ' _saner'_ than the average person in Wonderland.

Ace also had a blank look on his face, which soon turned into a goofy smile. "Haha, you do realise he has no pants on right?" he laughed, pointing at the rabbit doll, "That's cruel of you…" He trailed off, realising she hadn't told them her name; but he didn't keep quiet for long. "Miss I-Have-Many-Names!" he beamed, receiving a blow on the head immediately after; courtesy of Julius.

"You are a strange man," Arya sighed, holding the rabbit close again and continued to make her way to the mansion, "Besides, Nox does not mind…" She whispered the last part to the rabbit, as if to ask for reassurance.

"Is that what you think? Or what Nox thinks?" Ace inquired, effortlessly matching her pace again, "And that's strange, don't you think? I wouldn't want to go around without pants. Is it fun?" This time Gray was the one to hit him on the head.

"Don't ask silly questions, Knight," he reprimanded, glaring at Ace before turning to the girl, "Tell us where Alice is." He was becoming tired of her convoluted answers and how she dodged their questions. He needed to know where Alice was. He needed to know if she was safe or not. They all did.

"Nox says that you should not worry, Lizard," she replied, still not looking back, "She is with the Hatter." Gray clenched his fists. She still didn't answer the question.

"That's unfair!" Ace exclaimed, pouting exaggeratedly, "Answering Mr Lizard's question but not mine!"

"I voiced my opinion but Nox does agree. It's strange for a person to be going around without pants but I find it an acceptable practice for a stuffed animal. I also do not think it would be fun." Arya said in reply, answering all of his questions systematically, "Are you satisfied? Or do you require more clarification?" She turned to him with a blank expression.

Ace brought his hand to his chin, pondering for a moment before replying. "Yep, that's good enough for me!" he said cheerfully before posing another question, "How much longer until we reach the mansion?"

"Depends how fast you walk," she answered.

"What if we run?" he asked, again.

"Depends how fast you run," she answered, again.

"Why don't you give me a straightforward answer?" he asked, yet again.

"Why don't you stop asking questions?" she answered, yet again.

"This is going to be a long walk," Julius muttered, unhappily trudging along behind them.

"Indeed it is," Gray agreed; becoming fed up with the two's constant questioning and answering. In fact, he was so annoyed he wanted to…

"Blegh!" Nightmare sounded as he began to vomit blood again, "What is with all these gruesome thoughts, Gray? Are you trying to kill me? Where is the respect?!"

* * *

"Silis, may I go now?" Aiden requested, forcing a smile for the nth time, "I promised Airi that we would watch a movie together." His purple eyes met hers. He needed to get out, even if it meant lying to his sister. The teenager had been drinking tea with her and her newly found 'friends' for so long he felt that his short hair was turning from chocolate brown to grey. The old man to his right had almost killed him not so long ago with his _dreadful_ so-called 'music'. The bespectacled white haired man with peculiar bunny ears sitting on his left seemed to be glaring at him constantly. His older sister was happily chattering with a strange but beautiful purple haired lady. An oddly dressed boy with cat ears, who sat between the two females, was obviously taking a nap. Lastly, an elderly man loomed in the background – whose presence went unnoticed for quite some time.

His sister turned to face him. Her eyes were the same purple hue as his. Her long, straight hair was the same chocolate brown as his. However her bright red blazer, pristine white blouse and crimson pleated skirt contrasted his plain outfit; a simple grey jacket, dark red shirt and blue jeans. However he preferred it this way; he could never understand his siblings' taste for gaudy clothes. "Oh, is that so?" she asked gently with a smile, "I guess you could go then… Ah! How about you invite Arya here! We even have her favourite lemon cheesecake here!" She held up a platter of dessert to him, smiling cheerfully at him. As he opened his mouth to answer she pushed it closer to him and smiled more brightly.

"Perhaps you should let the boy leave, Silis," Vivaldi suggested, gracefully picking up her tea cup, "In fact, you should dismiss everyone here; except the cat of course!" She lit up on the final note and pet Boris' head enthusiastically; not that he responded with equal enthusiasm.

"Your Majesty," Peter spoke up, crossing his arms, "How much longer to do you intend on wasting your time with this _tea party_ when we should be finding my precious Alice!" He tapped his finger on his arm repeatedly with a look of disdain over his face.

"You should relax a bit, Prime Minister," Gowland suggested in a light tone, offering Peter some cake, "Here! Have some sweets and lighten up a bit! If everyone here is like Silis and Aiden, then Alice should be just fine!"

"You are _naïve_ , Marquis," Peter remarked, baring his teeth, "My Alice is so wonderful… she attracts the attention of many! What if some crazed, perverted lunatic kidnaps her?!" He stood up suddenly, despair evident on his face. In contrast, Gowland, Vivaldi and Boris looked at him with a sceptical look on their faces.

"Didn't you do _just_ that, Prime Minister," Gowland sighed exasperatedly, rubbing his forehead.

"Kidnap Alice? Me?" Peter asked dryly, "What I did was for her happiness, not that you would understand; for you are as ancient as Her Majesty." The two continued to bicker, with Aiden right in the middle of them. This was more than he could handle.

"If you would excuse me," Aiden stood up, pressing his lips together in a tight smile, "I mustn't keep Airi waiting." He refrained from running out of the room to not offend his sister, despite how he desperately wanted to be anywhere but there.

"What am I 'waiting' for?" Arya inquired, surprising Aiden who suppressed a jolt.

"Airi!" Aiden greeted her with exaggerated enthusiasm, "Don't you remember? We made plans to watch that new movie together." He gripped her by the shoulders, hoping that she would play along with his lie. It wasn't a complete lie after all; their plans were set to a later date.

Taking note of his strong grip, she nodded slightly. "If you say so," she said before looking down at her stuffed bunny, "Nox is also aware of this plan." This brought huge relief to Aiden who was about to suggest they go that instant but an angry voice came from behind her.

"Alice is not here," Gray grumbled, narrowing his eyes at the girl, "I thought you were taking us to Alice."

"I said I was going to the mansion," she corrected him, turning to face him, "I never said I would take you to her."

Irritation became increasingly obvious on Julius and Gray's faces. Nightmare continued to watch on, silently observing the situation. Ace, however, still had that ridiculous smile on his face. "That is true, huh?" he mused merrily, "Haha, but at least we found Mr Peter! How have you been?"

"Do refrain from speaking so casually to me, Ace," Peter countered, glowering at the knight before turning to Arya, "You seem to know where Alice is. Tell me where she is. Now." His hand went to his pocket watch.

"Nox says there is no need to use your gun, White Rabbit," she responded, clutching her stuffed rabbit closer to her, "You would just be wasting your bullets. Besides, wouldn't Alice be upset if you start killing people?

"Not if she doesn't find out," Peter retorted, his pocket watch quickly changing into a gun, " _Where_ _is_ _Alice_?"

"You shouldn't be so hasty, Prime Minister," Gowland sighed, "Alice will seriously hate you if you kill this girl just because you're angry." Peter was fully aware of what Alice would think if he pulled the trigger but he also wanted to know where Alice was. The other role-holders shared the same priority and didn't try to stop him.

Silis looked worriedly at Arya but soon relaxed once she confirmed Nox was with her. Aiden, on the other hand, flicked Arya on the forehead. "Airi, you should answer people's questions properly," he gently chastised her, "I told you before, didn't I? People become irritated with you because of this."

She looked blankly at Aiden for a moment before nodding. "If you say so, Aiden," she said compliantly, "Nox says she is currently in our secondary dungeon in the west wing."

 ** _"Dungeon?!"_**

* * *

"Twitching? My eye is?!" Kumoko snapped, her eye still twitching furiously, "Are you saying that I'm just like that _idiotic_ brother of mine?! That good-for-nothing, cowardly buffoon?!"

"I can't say that I've met him," Blood replied calmly, seemingly oblivious to her seething rage, "So I wouldn't know." His smile grew into a smirk.

"I may have…" Alice murmured, looking away from them. Her thoughts went back to the green eyed man who ordered for her imprisonment; just realising that his hair was the same dark blue as Kumoko. "He wears rectangular red glasses and two red hairpins in his hair…" Alice recalled aloud, immediately receiving Kumoko's piercing glare.

"So you've met Haruki," Kumoko grumbled, "That infuriating ignoramus…that moronic dimwit…that annoying piece of…" She continued to spout numerous profanities and began to pull her hair furiously. Meanwhile Kaine attempted to appease her anger and Blood watched on, amused.

'What is wrong with being like her brother?' Alice wondered, her thoughts going back to her older sister, 'After all, I…" She frowned slightly before slapping both her cheeks lightly. 'There I go again, just like Vivaldi said, always comparing myself to Lorina,' she thought bitterly.

Mund sat quietly in his cell, eyeing Berserker whose eyes lit up briefly. "So it received an order," he muttered, following Berserker's gaze, "What does that witch want with that child… Or, perhaps, the _real_ question is what does _Nox_ want with her…?"

"Ah!" Alice let out a squeal in surprise, "What are you doing? Put me down!"

Upon hearing her scream the others looked in her direction. "Berserker, what are you doing?" Kaine inquired with a smile, "Put her down, would you? Berserker…?" Alice was slung over Berserker's shoulder, feebly kicking against heavy armour. He chuckled nervously, gesturing for her to be put down. Berserker, however, had no intention of putting her down.

"What is it doing?!" Alice demanded, letting out a small squeal as a hole appeared in the floor below her, "What is going on?!" She screamed with widen eyes as the hole seemingly swallowed Berserker; her included. She had wished before for the ground to swallow her whole, but this wasn't exactly what she intended to happen.


	3. Chapter 3

"Why has Alice been imprisoned?" Peter demanded, keeping his gun aimed at Arya.

She looked towards Aiden, who mouthed some words to her; 'answer him.' "Nox says Haruki Tsukiyomi identified her as an intruder and ordered for her imprisonment," she said in reply.

" _Take me to Alice_ ," he continued to make demands, his gloved hand tightening its grip on the gun, " _If she's hurt I'll-_ "

"Nox says she is unharmed," she cut him off, looking behind herself, "However, if you doubt his words, you are welcome to confirm it with your own eyes." As the last word left her mouth a dark circle appeared behind her. Rising out of that very hole, was Berserker and Alice.

"Alice!" Peter called out in pleasant surprise, turning his gun back into a pocket watch, "Oh, how I've missed you!" He stretched out his arms as she was put down by the armour clad figure; engulfing her in a suffocating hug. "I love you, Alice! I love you! I love you!" he chanted continuously to an unresponsive Alice, "Alice…?"

" _What are you doing, Peter?_ " Alice inquired coldly before punching Peter in the gut, "How many times have I told not hug me out of nowhere?" She continued to lecture him; whilst he responded with only a cheerful smile.

"Haha, Mr Peter does a complete 180 in front of Alice!" Ace chimed in with a laugh, smilingly observing the slight frown on Ayra's face out of the corner of his eye. He followed her gaze to Alice, who Arya looked upon with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Airi, is something wrong?" Aiden whispered to Arya, noticing her expression. In response, she looked at him and shook her head before leaning closer to whisper in his ear. "Is that an order…or a request?" he inquired softly; receiving a single word in reply. After audibly clearing his throat, Aiden politely beckoned all of their guests to another room.

* * *

"On behalf of my father, the Patrem, and the entire Sciandria family," Kaine announced majestically, with a slight smile evident on his face, "I, Kaine Sciandria, would like to welcome all of you to our humble home." His loud voice echoed throughout the large room; effectively reaching the ears all within the decorated ballroom. He then bowed politely to all of the role-holders; many of which refused to offer him the same respect.

Arya stood silently by his side; still stroking her stuffed rabbit. His younger siblings, Silis and Aiden, stood off to the side of the hall and waited for an explanation. For the same reason, Kumoko stood with them along with her faithful maid, Sophie.

Blood stood lethargically with Elliot and the twins on either side of him; all three of which were bickering constantly. Only Blood listened to what was being said; despite his languid demeanour.

Vivaldi was contently scratching Boris' chin; who purred softly in response. Standing near her were King and Gowland, who was busy trying to communicate with a trembling Pierce. The Dormouse, hugging his knees, rocked back and forth on the ground – and out of all the incomprehensible words he muttered the only one that could be made out was 'cat.'

Alice was struggling to concentrate on what Kaine was saying due to Peter who, as per usual, was gushing over her. Ace continued laughed upon the sight of the lovesick Prime Minister. He carried the same goofy smile on his face; giving the impression he wasn't listening intently like the Clockmaker beside him.

Gray sighed at the other role-holders' childish behaviour and continued to stand loyally beside Nightmare who was observing the speaker carefully. His calm composure eventually shifting into a frown as Kaine continued.

Smiling at their lack of attention, Kaine ended the formalities, "I am sure that many of you are wondering why you are here – why you are here and not in the Country of Hearts or the Country of Clover. I am also sure that many of you are unsure where 'here' really is." This caught their attention. "As you can see, everyone in this world has a face, so I hope you believe me when I say you are no longer in Wonderland. This country is called Caelum and this mansion is situated in the exact centre – the capital city, Sol."

Sol… Caelum…

"I've never heard of these places before," Alice murmured confusedly, she was quite confident that the country 'Caelum' never existed in her old world. However, the more she thought about it, the more she began to doubt herself. Alice began to think back to the globe she had in her room; one she often spun out of boredom. However, she couldn't picture the globe. In fact, she couldn't picture her room clearly. 'The globe was in my room…on the desk…? No…the shelf…?' she thought; frowning at her vague memory. Her thoughts were interrupted as Gray spoke up.

"Why is it that you know about Wonderland?" he inquired, making no effort to hide his suspicions about Kaine. His narrowed eyes searched the man's facial expression and body language. Kaine's inviting smile and relaxed body language suggested friendliness… However Gray knew better than that. He was hiding something.

"Oh! I am truly sorry!" Kaine apologised, scratching his cheek, "I did not tell you, did I? Of course you would be confused!" He began to chuckle softly; testing Gray's patience. "The young Pierce Villiers over there was quite helpful to explain Wonderland to us," he gestured to Pierce who was still rocking back and forth on the ground, "He did become quite frightened of Precious afterwards… The instincts of a rat, I suppose."

Gray turned to look at Pierce who continually mumbled incomprehensible words. 'The Dormouse was always frightened of cats, but…never to this extent. It's as if he was traumatised by something,' he contemplated, his suspicions towards Kaine growing, 'This man is…'

"Not telling us something," Nightmare continued Gray's thoughts, causing said person to turn to him, "Something is wrong, Gray. I can read his mind but… it feels strange; like something is off. Someone is interfering." Nightmare's silver eye stared the girl beside Kaine. As if sensing his gaze, Aria's vacant, lapis blue eyes moved to meet his.

 ** _It'S rUdE tO pEeR iNtO a PeRsOn'S mInD dReAm DeMoN…_**

Nightmare fell, clutching his head in pain. The words stabbed his mind with a sharp intense pain. Gray knelt beside him; seeming to say something. But Nightmare couldn't hear a single word. As the distorted voice faded from his mind, Gray's words became clearer and more audible.

"Lord Nightmare, what is wrong?" Gray asked worriedly, fixated on Nightmare's rapidly oscillating eye. His sudden fall had caught the attention of all in the room however only Alice ran to him. Silis was about to do the same but Kaine shook his head.

"Nightmare, are you alright?!" she cried with worry as Nightmare began to vomit blood, "This is why you need to go the hospital! You need to see a doctor!" She turned to Kaine with slight frustration, "Why are you just standing there, smiling?! Call a doctor!"

"Haha! My sincere apologies!" Kaine replied with a laugh, "I suppose we'll have to continue our discussion another time. I'm sure my brother is willing to guide the rest of you around the mansion! I hope you will stay here as our guests; your presence is quite welcome here." He concluded the meeting cheerfully; completely overlooking how Nightmare vomited blood on the floor.

"This man needs medical attention, Kaine!" Silis exclaimed with a scowl before turning to Arya, "Arya, please, can you help him?" She clenched her fists. She didn't understand why Kaine wouldn't get Nightmare to a doctor. He was always such a kind and gentle person. He may have changed in the recent years but the Kaine she knew wouldn't ignore someone clearly in pain.

Before Arya could respond Kaine grabbed her shoulder; ensuring that she wouldn't move. "I suppose that means you are volunteering to take him to the infirmary, Silis!" he concluded with a smile, oblivious to her frown, "While you do that, send someone to clean the mess, would you?."

Silis' enraged purple eyes revealed her desire to retort but… She turned to look at Nightmare. Without further argument, she rushed over to Nightmare.

* * *

"Why don't you just get angry with him already, Aiden Sciandria?" Kumoko angrily inquired as they led the group of role-holders to their rooms, "If I was in your position-" Aiden smiled at her and shook his head, stopping her sentence midway.

"No matter how infuriating he may be, he is still my brother, Princess Kumoko," he replied with a smile, continuing along the hallway, "Princess Kumoko?"

Kumoko stopped moving. "I shall part with you here," she stated with a sigh. Aiden, on cue, gave her a polite smile and nodded. 'As I thought,' she mentally confirmed, watching Aiden's figure grow smaller, 'Aiden, you truly are...' "Boring," she concluded aloud, turning to walk back to her room "Kaine Sciandria, he truly is a despicable man…"

"Milady, I am not sure it is wise to talk about Sir Kaine like that," her maid spoke up, bowing her head slightly, "This is his household, and it is best not to anger his loyal followers."

"You saw what happened," Kumoko returned, "Kaine completely ignored how that man was clearly in pain...with a smile on his face!" She furrowed her eyebrows. "Then again, that doll of his…"

Her thoughts went back to a memory from when she had first arrived at the Sciandria Mansion. Lightning lit the hallway. Thunder cracked constantly. The lights began to flicker. Rain began to pound on the windows. But the most vivid memory of all...

There was a pool of blood on the ground. Bodies were strewn randomly on a once pristine carpet – all were mangled beyond recognition. Standing in the middle of all of it...was Arya.

* * *

"An excellent speech," a man said with a smile, leaning against the wall as Kaine and Arya walked through the corridor, "It's a shame you received no applause." His mouth curved into a smile, which Kaine returned easily.

"You are too kind," Kaine returned the gesture with a polite smile, "It was obvious that they were not fully entertained. Unlike you, entertaining others does not come so easily for me. Besides, this was merely a formality. I will leave the entertaining to you, Joker." He turned his face to the side, his purple eyes meeting red for a split second before he turned away. He kept the smile on his face as he slowly continued down the corridor.

Arya watched Kaine turn and walk away, about to do the same, but instead she turned to Joker. "Nox is confused," Arya stated, stepping closer, "Nox thought that you would have wanted to meet them. After all, Nox says you know them all very well. Nox is asking, are they not your friends, Joker?" She stared blankly at the red haired man, waiting for his reply. Kaine stopped, looking back at the girl.

"Friend?" Joker repeated in a questionly manner. It was true that he knew the role-holders and Alice well, but being their friend...

" _Friend? Has your bunny's stuffing stopped working?_ " a distorted voice scoffed, " _Why would I be friends with the likes of them?_ "

"You will have to excuse him," Joker chuckled, excusing his counterpart, "However, to answer your question..." He leaned forward slightly and held a finger to his lips as he continued. " ** _People have twice the fun if you make it a surprise,_** " Joker whispered, the two voices melding into one as he presented a single blue flower to the girl, "You said that your favourite colour was blue, yes?"

Arya looked blankly at him for a few seconds, processing his words, before giving him a small smile. Kaine watched as she thanked the jester in her soft voice and accepted the flower. His eyes followed the two's interactions, not missing how their hands met for a brief second. "Arya," he called out to her, interrupting their conversation, "We have business to attend to. Also, I am sure that clown has a job to do, we must not disturb his preparations." He beckoned her over to his side.

"There is no need for such considerations," Joker answered back, "I have prepared everything, after all." He smiled back to Kaine who grit his teeth slightly.

"Oh, is that right?" Kaine continued the conversation with feigned interest, walking towards the pair, "Nevertheless…we have our own business to attend to. So, if you would excuse us." The blonde quickly grabbed hold of Arya's hand, not taking his eyes off Joker. He kept a smile on his face; albeit his smile was evidently strained.

"Of course! By all means, excuse yourself," Joker retorted with a seemingly polite smile, "I did not mean to keep you from your business." Whether or not it was sarcasm, Kaine didn't know but he turned to leave nonetheless; his hold still strong over Arya's hand.

Joker waved to them as they left, receiving a small wave from Arya. "Kekeke! Did you see the look on his face?" A laugh sounded from the mask on Joker's belt. The jester smiled in agreement, "Yes, it was quite amusing, wasn't it?"

* * *

The infirmary walls were completely washed with white. The heavy stench of steriliser filled the air, irritating their noses. The white-coated doctor had been examining Nightmare for so long that Gray, Alice and Silis had become anxious.

"Has anything like this ever happened before?" Dr Lancaster asked, turning to Gray who shook his head. Nightmare, still, had not stopped shivering and had begun to mumble something that the others could not understand. The doctor took Nightmare's temperature and frowned. He shouldn't be cold, yet he was shivering. 'A fever?' he thought momentarily, 'No, that can't be right.' He then proceeded to re-examine his patient again.

"He has always been sickly, but no this extent," Gray replied solemnly, biting his thumb. His thoughts went back to Nightmare's words - 'Someone is interfering'. He recalled how Nightmare's gaze went to the girl – Arya. 'Could she have…?' he began to wonder, before shaking his head, 'No… foreigners are not like us. They are not supposed to have any special abilities, are they?' He looked at Alice who sat next to the bed Nightmare laid on, gripping his hand tightly. She hadn't spoken since they had arrived at the infirmary.

Meanwhile Dr Lancaster had found something unusual on Nightmare's neck; it resembled a bruise but the shape was too unusual for a bruise. It resembled a snake. When he looked closer to examine the mark, he recognised the faint glow of the symbol. It was a cursed seal and the faint purple glow meant that it belonged to... He opened his mouth to reveal his discovery but was stopped by the sudden opening of the infirmary door. "My lord," Dr Lancaster addressed his master respectfully, bowing low.

"Doctor, it is so good to see you," Kaine greeted him warmly, leaning closer to whisper into the doctor's ears, "Though, I must say, Doctor… I thought you would know better than to say something… unnecessary. You may leave, Doctor. The same goes for the rest of you." Dr Lancaster and Silis left without protest; followed by Alice who trailed behind. Gray's golden eyes glared at the man, but soon followed the others and stepped towards the door. Looking back, he noticed the smirk that appeared on Kaine's face.

As they left the infirmary a maid came up to Gray and Alice, informing them that she was to lead them to their designated rooms. They followed her as she navigated through the endless turning from one corridor to the next. After a few minutes passed, Gray confirmed that the maid was deliberately leading them in circles. She would always slow down when approaching the end of each corridor. Her head would incline slightly to the left and then the right as if deliberating which she should take – and judging by how long they had been walking, she was taking the longest route she could think of. However, he soon discovered the pattern in which she moved and would easily get back to Nightmare. In case the maid changed the pattern, Gray continued to observe their surroundings. Whilst he was doing that, he realised how silent Alice had been. "Alice, are you alright?" he turned to her with a worried smile.

Alice turned to him with a jolt. "Oh, I was just thinking about something," she replied with a laugh. She hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell him. "I...I've just had this strange feeling of déjà vu, that's all," she confided in him. He raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything as she continued. "I can't remember it clearly, but I feel like..." she trailed off, shaking her head, "Never mind, Gray, I'm sure it's nothing." She sped up to catch up with the maid before he could say anything. However, that vague memory of her sister on her death bed still weighed heavily in her mind. Perhaps it was just her imagination.

* * *

Kaine watched as they all left the infirmary before turning to Nightmare.

 ** _NoW…wHaT sEcReTs CaN yOu TeLl Me, DrEaM dEMoN…?_**


End file.
